Libya

The U.N. Security Council urged the Libyan transitional government on Thursday to complete the necessary groundwork to hold national elections on time in December, as concerns grow that they could be postponed. … Elections are scheduled for December 24 — 70 years to the day since Libya declared independence in 1951.

Libyan expectations are high and candidates are beginning to express interest in running for the elections scheduled for December this year. These have been delayed three years following a military campaign on the capital Tripoli by renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar’s Tobruk-based government in the east.

The conference, hosted by Germany and the United Nations, included officials from 17 countries and reinforced support for national elections in Libya scheduled for late December. … An official statement from conference attendees said “all foreign forces and mercenaries need to be withdrawn from Libya without delay,” but on that point Turkey noted its reservations.

The EU has warned that anyone judged to be delaying elections in Libya beyond the planned date of 24 December will be at risk of sanctions, ahead of an important meeting of foreign ministers intended to tighten the screw on those obstructing either elections or the withdrawal of foreign forces from the country. 

Libya’s presidential council has banned any military movement across the country without its approval after forces loyal to renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar said they took control of a border crossing with Algeria and declared it a military zone.

In the lead up to the second Berlin Conference, UNSMIL reported Friday that its head, Jan Kubis, continued his engagements with national and international stakeholders to mobilize further support for the multi-track UN-facilitated, Libyan-led, and Libyan owned political process.

A military drone that attacked soldiers during a battle in Libya’s civil war last year may have done so without human control, according to a recent report commissioned by the United Nations.

Germany and the United Nations will host a new round of Libyan peace talks on June 23 in Berlin, Germany's foreign ministry said in a statement. It will be the first time that Libya's transitional government will take part in the talks that were launched with a first conference in January 2020.

International pressure is growing on Turkey over its military presence in Libya. … Ankara insists its forces are in Libya at the invitation of Libya's internationally recognized government.  But this month, Libyan Foreign Minister Najla El-Mangoush called for all foreign fighters to leave, including Turkish forces. 

Libyan politicians have moved with salutary speed in 2021 to reunify their divided country. With UN help, the new government should hasten to clear two last hurdles: establishing a legal framework for elections and clarity about who holds supreme command of the armed forces.